The 28th Annual August A. Rendigs, Jr. National Moot Court Competition is the only national competition devoted to products liability law. The competition honors Mr. August A. Rendigs, Jr. (1895-1988), one of Cincinnati’s most respected trial lawyers. This competition is open to thirty teams from ABA-accredited law schools.

The competition will be held March 27-28, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The preliminary rounds will be argued in the Hamilton County Courthouse. The advanced rounds will be held in the Potter Stewart Federal courthouse, which houses the Western Division of the Southern District of Ohio as well as being the seat of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The final round of the competition will be argued in the En Banc courtroom of the Sixth Circuit, a unique opportunity for any lawyer or law student.

Each competing team will write one appellate brief and argue both on and off-brief. All participants are required to argue at least once during the three preliminary rounds. Based on preliminary round performance, teams will be selected to advance to the elimination rounds.

We strive to recruit competition judges who are distinguished members of the bench and bar. The individuals listed below made up the final round panels in previous competitions:

Justice Terrence O'Donnell – Supreme Court of Ohio

Justice Steven David – Supreme Court of Indiana

Judge Eugene E. Siler – Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Judge James G. Carr – United States District Court for Northern District of Ohio

Judge Denise P. Hood – United States District Court for Eastern District of Michigan

Justice Brent D. Benjamin – Supreme Court of West Virginia

Justice Stephen J. Markman – Supreme Court of Michigan

Justice Donald L. Corbin – Supreme Court of Arkansas

Justice William Ray Price – Supreme Court of Missouri

In addition to the competition, we host a semi-formal dinner banquet on the first night of the competition at the historic Hilton Netherlands Plaza Hotel. The Netherlands Plaza is a fixture of Cincinnati history, built into Carew Tower, the second-tallest building in Cincinnati, its design and construction was done in an effort to rival the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It is a fine example of French Art Deco architecture and serves some of the best food and drinks in the city.

We hope you will join us for this year’s competition. For more information or if you have any questions of concerns, please contact John Markus and Craig Belliston, Rendigs Competition Co-Directors. They can be reached by email at Rendigsmootcourtcompetition@gmail.com or by phone at (513) 556-0087.